Art of separating the petroleum contents from petroleum-bearing sands or shale.



F. NAVIN. ART OF SEPARATING THE PETROLEUM CONTENTS FROM PETROLEUM BEAIIING SAND 0R SHALE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I5. I918.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK NAVIN, F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

ART 011" SEPARATIN'G- THE PETROLEUM QONTENTS FROM PETROLEUM-BEARING SANDS s 0R SHALE.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919 Application filed April 15, 1918; Serial No. 228,748. 7

Petroleum Contents from Petroleum-- caring Sands or Shale; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the art of separating the petroleum contents from petroleum bearing sands or shale.

I The invention consists broadly in crushing the sand or shale, freeing the oil content therefrom by means of a solvent, adding a fluid to the mass, which fluid is of greater density than that of the oil and solvent, and separating the constituents of the mass by permitting them to arrange themselves according to their densities.

In the drawing 1 have illustrated diagrammatically a mechanism for carrying out my invention.

This mechanism includes a crusher 1 which is of any desirable form and which is actuated by means of a belt 2. This belt passes around a pulley 3 on a countershaft 4:, which shaft'receives its motion from any suitable means, such for instance as an engine 5. The crusher 1 is provided at its upper side with an opening 6 and at its lower side with an exit 7 which is closed normally by a removable door 8. A hopper 9 is arranged beneath the crusher 1 and is adapted to receive the material from the crusher. A rotary mixer 10 is located beneath the hopper 9 and is mounted in suitable bearings 11. This mixer 10 is rotated by means of a belt 12 passing about a pulley on one of the trunnions 13 of the mixer and about a pulley on the countershaft A. A tank 1 1 is associated with the mixer 10 and is adapted to contain a fluid, such as water, which is of a greater density than the oil content of the sand or shale and the solvent. A valved pipe 15 leads from this tank to the upper end of the mixer 10. A second tank 16 is adapted to contain a solvent, such as gasolene, kerosene or crude oil, for the oil content of the sand or shale. A valved pipe 17 extends from this tank 16 to the'upper end of the mixer 10. The upper and lower ends of this mixer are open, but are adapted to be closed by doors, so that during the rotation of the mixer the mass will be prevented from flowing therefrom. A hopper 19 is arranged beneath the mixer 10 and is adapted to receive the mass of material therefrom and discharge the same into'a separation tank 20, in which tank the constituents. of the mass are permitted to arrange themselves according to their densities, the oil content of the sand or shale and the solvent therefor being at the top of the tank, the water or other fluid beneath the same and the sand or residuum being below the water. Extending from this tank 20 are cocks 21 and 22, by means of which the oil content and the solvent therefor may be drawn off into a suitable container and the water or other fluid may likewise be drawn 0d. The lower end of the tank is provided with a door through which the sand or residuum. may be discharged into any suitable receptacle.

In carrying out the method, the oil bearing sand or Shale is placed in the crusher 1, Where it is comminuted. This comminnted mass is then conveyed to the rotary mixer 10 by the hopper 9 and a solvent, such as gasolene, kerosene or crude oil, is permitted to flow from the tank 16 into the mixer. At the same time water or other fluid having a greater density than the oil content of the sand or shale and the solvent therefor is permitted to flow from the tank 1 1' into the mixer. The mixer is then closed and rotated until the constituents of the mass" are thoroughly commingled. This will result in the freeing of the oil content from the sand or shale. This freeing of the oil content will be'due to the action of the solvent and of water, the latter acting to wash the sand or particles of shale from the oil. After the freeing of the oil content from the sand or shale inthe mixer, the mass is conveyed to the separation tank 20 by the hopper 19 where the sands or particles of shale settle to the bottom of the tank, the water arranges itself above the same and the mixture of oil content and solvent arranges itself above the water, due to the difi'erences in density. The oil may then be drawn ofi' through the cook 21 and the Water through the cook 22. The sand or shale particles may then .be removed from the bottom of the tank.

It is to be noted that the solvent and the water iare at the normal atmospheric tommass thus forme perature when added to the sand or shale and thus a great saving of the oil content is effected, since if the temperature of the mixture is materially raised the lighter constituents of the oil will volatilize and thus be lost or entail a condensing operation. The solvent and water can, of course, be used indefinitely,-inasmuch as the temperature is normal and, therefore, the. volatilization is not enhanced.

What I claim is:

1. The method of extracting petroleum from petroleum bearing sand or shale, which consists in adding water and a solvent for the etroleum to the sand or shale, thorough y admixin the constituents of the and causing the constituents thereof to arrange themselves according to their densities.

2. The method of extracting petroleum from petroleum bearing sand or shale, which consists adding a solvent for the petroleum and a fluid of reater density than the solvent and petrfieum to the sand or shale, thoroughly admixing the constituents of the mass thus formed and causing the constituents to arrange themselves according to their FRANK NAVlN. 

